


Kindred Spirits

by Percyyougloriousbastard



Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: F/M, mind your sweet tooth this thing is sugary, stop the winnie hate 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-24 01:56:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21330361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Percyyougloriousbastard/pseuds/Percyyougloriousbastard
Summary: Anne runs into Winnifred after her entrance exam and the pair come to an understanding. Gilbert realises he's been an utter bafoon and fixes things.
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe & Anne Shirley
Comments: 3
Kudos: 99





	Kindred Spirits

**Author's Note:**

> I'm truely quite happy with this and I hope you like it too. As usual for me ive relied on spell check to catch anything glaring but this is definatly unedited. I know this is much to sappy to actually happen but thats what fanfiction is for. Thanks for reading.

Anne breathed a deep sigh of relief a she stepped into the streets of Charlottetown finally finished with her entrance exams. It had been gruelling and at times seemed impossible but all in all she felt content that no matter what the result she had done her absolute best. She was just revealing in the idea of a nice cup of tea by Aunt Jo’s fire while she caught up with Cole was an unfamiliar but recognisable voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Anne? Anne! Oh, goodness it is you,” Miss Winnifred Rose came to a stop directly in front of Anne cutting off any route to escape “I’m glad I caught you Anne, Gilbert said that you would be here for your entrance examination and I’ve been dying to talk to you.” 

Anne almost cringed at how polite and honestly friendly Winnifred came across. Deep down she know that the rising bile in her throat had nothing to do with Miss Winnifred’s character and everything to do with the nature of her relationship with Gilbert Blythe.

“Good evening Miss Winnifred.” Anne said with sugary politeness swallowing her jealousy and pasting a smile on her face “What brings you here?”

“Oh, I came to see if Gilbert was apt to enjoy a spot of tea this evening before he had to get back to the train, see how he thinks he faired. But I’m glad I caught you Anne.” Winnifred smiled genuinely at Anne “I saw you article on the bodily autonomy of women in the local paper and I wanted to tell you how thrilling it was to read.”

Anne was taken aback, she had no idea that the Charlottetown paper had picked up her article. She couldn’t even think how they would have come into possession of it. She faulted unsure what to say but then Winnifred continued.

“I was also very pleased to discover that you do in fact spell Anne with and E,” Winnifred winked “It’s a much more romantic and dignified way of spelling it, not to say that just plain Ann isn’t equally beautiful but the E just adds an air of the fantastical.”

Anne blushed deeply. “Thank you Miss Winnifred.” She said numbly, still trying to process all she had learned.

“Oh do call me Winnifred or Winnie even, all of my friends do.” Winnifred’s smile lit up the whole street as she spoke genuinely to Anne. “I must say I especially loved how you called us all to rebellion in your article. I must say I’m a fan of a little rebellion. It’s always fun to find a way to break the rules.”

Anne looked around stunned, unsure what was happening but starting to find a strange kinship with this woman she had though rival.

“Why thank you Winnie, although I must admit that I was hot headed and heedless in my rush to publish and my rebellion left little to be desired. I deeply hurt a friend in my haste.”

“Ah, yes Miss Josie I believe. Gilbert was ever so ruffled at the incident that transpired at the fair he seemed most lost within himself for the rest of the evening.” Winnifred looked up and jumped as though surprised “Oh, speak his name and he shall appear. Good evening Gilbert, I’ve come to ask you if you would like to join me for tea.” Winnifred smile widely like she wasn’t part of a very awkward triangle. “And of course Anne I would be most happy if you would join us I have so many pressing questions about your manifesto.”

“Oh, I…” Anne looked at Gilbert who was looking about with the most flabbergasted and completely unrecognisable expression on his face before turning back to Winnifred “I’m afraid I have to decline I am expected at my friend Cole’s house so we may catch up before I have to head home on the train this evening…perhaps next time?”

Winnifred looked a little disappointed and Gilbert looked a lot relieved. Anne looked around her to find her escape.

“Oh, I do hope there is a next time Anne, I find myself thinking that you may indeed be a kindred spirit of sorts.” Winnifred smiled “How about you Gilbert I do hope you have time to catch up with an old friend at the local tea house.”

“Oh, um… yes, of course.” Gilbert answered Winnifred but his eyes were flicking between the two women before him as if he may just take flight. “I’ll see you back at the train Anne, I hope your exam went as you had hoped.”

“See you back at the train.” Said Anne “I hope to see you soon Miss Winnifred.” Anne said turning to Winnifred with a genuine smile on her face “I do find that you could be quite right and they we may indeed be kindred spirits.”

Winnifred gave a gentle wave to Anne as she set off towards Aunt Jo’s for the evening. She had misjudged Winnifred Rose harshly it seemed and all of a sudden she could see just what Gilbert saw in the young woman. Far from just a stunning beauty it appeared Winnifred Rose was a woman of knowledge and kindness. Try as she might Anne couldn’t find it in her to reignite the spark of hatred for the other woman. They were just too alike for jealousy, Anne couldn’t help that think, and circumstance be different, that she two could be just as Miss Rose. She saw clearly now how Gilbert could find a life with Miss Rose. She could see how it would be easy and filled with joy and she could hope love also.

Then it hit her Winnifred had called Gilbert a friend. Surely there was a better term for you intended then friend…unless…no. Anne turned in the street to where Winnifred and Gilbert still stood. Winnifred tipped her head back in easy laughter but stood back from Gilbert. Neither of the pair were touching they simply stood together as old friends. Gilbert smiled at something Winnifred had said and then looked up catching sight of Anne in the distance. Anne turned quickly feeling ashamed to have been caught spying and began to hurriedly rush away.

“Anne!” came Gilbert’s voice, much closer and more out of breath then she would have expected “Anne, hold up.”

Anne stopped and waited for Gilbert to catch up. Not daring to turn around.

“Anne, would you mind terribly if I accompanied you to Ms. Barry’s house?” Gilbert asked once he had caught up.

“What about tea with Winnie?” Anne asked no hint of malice, just simple clarification.

“Winnie… Winnifred and I will no longer be continuing out courtship arrangement.” Gilbert said staring straight ahead and not daring to look Anne in the eye.

“Oh?” Anne said in way of question but not feeling it her place to pry.

“Yes,” Said Gilbert starting forward slowly giving Anne time to follow. “It seems I have been most unfair to Winnifred and have lead her astray in affairs of the heart.”

Anne almost held her breath “Oh?” she whispered again.”

“Yes,” Gilbert said softly “you see I’ve been most unfair to Miss Rose in trying to win her affections when in fact my own were already spent on another.”

Anne stilled, stopped in her tracks and once more uttered “Oh?” for once completely at a loss for words.

“Yes,” Gilbert suppled coming to a stop in front of her “it seems… and I have it on good authority… that I am the last to know of my affections and that if I am very lucky those affections might be returned.”

“Gilbert?” Anne whispered “What exactly are you saying?”

“I’m saying Anne, Anne-girl that, I have come to find that I hold a deep affection for you and I hope…or at least I have been told that I may hope that you too…share those affections.” Gilbert’s words were strong but his eye’s never left his feet.

“But…Winnie…she’s so beautiful…” Anne stuttered stunned.

“She has nothing on you dear Anne.” Gilbert said more sure of himself finally meeting Anne’s eyes.

“Gilbert, I…I don’t know…there is so much…I mean I had always hoped but I had never dreamed…I…I… my education…” Anne stuttered floundering for excuses her heart wasn’t fully in.

“Will come first, as will mine.” Gilbert said reaching forward to till Anne’s chin so she would meet his eye “If you would allow me, I would like very much to spend my education with you by my side.”

“I…I…” Anne was so unsure, had this come the day of the fair she would have floated off without the aid of that yellow balloon, but now she was scared.

“It doesn’t have to be anything serious.” Gilbert threw in losing his nerve at Anne’s floundering. “We…we could just be companions for now…an agreement of the heart without any of the formality of courting.” Anne through him a rather scandalised look “That’s not to say I don’t want to court you Anne. I do. I’m messing this up but Anne, what I’m trying to say is…I’m yours, whatever you want that to mean. Friend? Suitor? Fiancé? Husband? Just let me be yours Anne?” Gilbert looked so earnest, so hopeful, so in love that for a moment Anne could believe this was for her.

Searching Gilbert’s eyes for the punchline of this cruel joke and finding nothing but bright and shining love Anne stepped forward into Gilbert’s space but without touching him, allowing the space to fill with charged energy.

“Yes.” She whisper, gently pulling his lips to hers “yes, Gilbert.” She said punctuating each fragment of a sentence with a firm but chaste kiss “ yes, I will be your companions,” kiss “your partner,” kiss “one day your fiancé,” kiss “and then your wife.” Kiss.

Caught up in the utter bliss of them moment Gilbert gathered Anne into him and gently deepened the kiss. Only when it became clear that that were drawing attention to themselves did they break the kiss. Throwing decency and propriety they see off towards Aunt Jo’s hand in hand, smiling wider then a Cheshire cat and filled with more love then either of them had thought possible in a very long while.


End file.
